I doubt that I would disagree with that. Devon is one of my favorites. I know I could never afford to live there though. If I had the money I would live in the south because the climate is milder. I like the rugged coasts and the nearness of so many other things, including London. However I fell in love with Yorkshire, the Dales and could certainly live there. Unfortunately I have not seen enough of Scotland but I am almost sure I could move there sight unseen. As long as it was not a built up area, small villages and not too many people I would be happy.
i would not disagree either. In fact since spending a week in Devon in 2006 I have been saying it was my favorite. From Clovelly on the North coast to Sidmouth on the English Channel I fell in love with the small villages, and hilly hedge-lined countryside. I thought it would be Cornwall until that trip and I do love that county!
But, now, everyone who has read my entries in this group knows I can find very little fault with any
region or county of England and until I see every one of them I will never know for sure.
For this reason I keep going back. opk
I note the article is an article on an article published in Country Life - an up-market publication.
I would agree it is a very desirable pace to live and VERY expensive.
Before our first daughter was born, my late in-laws had a house built for them overlooking the natural harbour of Salcombe, South Devon. We started going there when they were born and went there every year for two reasons - no B&B charges! But, more importantly, when they were about 3 and 5, all their chums were flying abroad to different places each summer, but the girls were adamant they wanted to go to Salcombe. We swiftly learned that whilst their chums were apprehensive every time they went to a different location not knowing what to expect, ours weren't, because they knew where they were going to and what they were going to do.
My father-in-law had a sizeable sailing vessel and he used to take us out to the ocean frequently. The girls just loved getting in the small boat from the jetty and going to the deep-water mooring and boarding the "big boat" as they called it.
Some may say it was not very ambitious to go to the same place year in year out, but we loved it and even when my in-laws moved to near where we live now, we continued to rent a cottage 800 yards from a beach until they were 14 and 16. I didn't like the beach very much, so I put a good book in my pocket and with the dog, did a pub crawl, occasionally stopping for a breather and another chapter whilst the dog took great pleasure in sniffing around and marking everything. Ah! Memories...
They have since made up for overseas travel ! They've already been to more countries more distant than I have and will continue to do so.
Within a few miles is the Dartmoor Moor - I think it might even be a National Park now.
Salcombe is a large (for us) natural harbour sheltered from the Atlantic but cannot be reached from the ocean at low tide, unless you have a very small vessel. It has become a haven for boat people - from dinghies to sloops and schooners and ocean going yachts - and therefore attracts many millionaires too.
My wife goes there every year for two weeks in September, taking a self-catering flat . This year, the girls joined her for the middle weekend and went to old haunts. She took over 350 pictures. Do you want to see three or four of them?
You know us........all 350 are most welcome. Nice to have such memories. We did the same with the Norfolk Broads. I wish my parents had been more adventureson but for the same reason, they went back every year. They knew it was fun and relaxing, good fishing and fun on the water. Plenty of day trips. I have to say that Devon would have been better but as you say.......the memories.....cant beat those.
Let's start with the view from her balcony looking upstream one hazy September day.
Below is a view directly across from the balcony - with the tide being right these vessels are heading out to the ocean.
The next is taken from the other side of the estuary three days later - same boat returning. Beyond the boat is the block of apartments where she stays.
Wonderful. Looks so peaceful even though busy. Something about boats and water is calming and relaxing dont you think? Looks like a nice beach around the corner there.
What a gold mind of lovely memories and information. I think it must be the best feeling in the world to have any such place to go to repeatedly. Mine was a trip of aproximately 2 hours pior to highways, to Durant, Oklahoma. I mostly remember red dirt and crossing the bridge from one state to the other. I usually stayed in Denison, Texas, but I love Oklahoma as home, nontheless.
Devon is renowned for it's beaches.
Where my daughter and future son-in-law are standing was the girls' playground whilst their mother (and seldom myself) had "our" place, sheltered from the wind. This land is privately owned but is open to the public. They make a tidy fortune in the summer season with their (very reasonable) car-parking charge.
The front of the beach is where most people go and it's crowded on a good day.
This is just round the corner from "our place". It's called "Jenkin's Quay" but the river bed has shifted over the years and the quay has been left high and dry - even at high tides.
From "our" side of the estuary Burgh Island is visible on the other side of the bay and it has a small pub "The Pilchard Inn" near the shore line. The hotel was built in the Art Deco style and every fixture and fitting is genuine Art Deco - not copies. The owner scours the auction rooms for genuine articles. Check out this link and click on the thumbnail pics and you will see what I mean.
view link Check out the links they offer on their website across the top.
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Because it is an island, at low to half tide you can walk across to it, but when the tide comes back in, you need to board this vehicle - the sea tractor. For hotel guests the service is free, but if you are going for a walk around the island or just to the pub, there is a charge of £2.00 (around $3.50 I think) each way, so most people walk one way and get the sea tractor the other.
What a great post. Love the entries and photos Scot! I could be content staying there and watching the sail boats heading out each day. is this place on the Atlantic side? South of Clovelly? The one beach scene reminds me of Slapton Sands on the English Channel. Oh and I just love that sea tractor. It looks like a gypsy wagon.
Clovelly had that same problem. The little harbor was left high and dry the day we were there.
